Finding You Can Change, Learning You Were Wrong
by LittleBlueWolf94
Summary: My own take on zutara. Similar to other stories? Yes. Worth reading? Definitely.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! My writing skips around a lot, switching between Zuko's and Katara's perspectives. It does go in chronological order, however. Hope you like it! (I own none of the characters etc.)**

**This chapter is set totally is book one.**

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><p>Katara. The girl he'd initially barely noticed. She had been merely an obstacle, and a small one at that, standing in his path to the avatar.<p>

Zuko. The menacing, scare-faced shadow from another world who would stop at nothing to destroy the world's last hope.

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><p>He had underestimated her, as he had the avatar. Those small brown hands that had shook with fear as he'd tied her to the tree were gone, replaced by confident fingers that could manipulate water flawlessly. Zuko snarled inwardly. Why couldn't anything ever be simple?<p>

Her lips curved with satisfaction as his eyes widened with surprise. _That's right, Zuko. I'm a waterbending master now, and you're not taking Aang. I'm not that helpless little girl I was the last time we met._

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><p><strong>R&amp;R :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Set thought Book 2.**

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><p>A few things he was sure of. He had been Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa. He had been Lee, who had disgracefully stolen from the girl who was kind to him. Lee, who had honorably fought for a boy who had no father or elder brother to fight for him. He'd been the Blue Spirit, the elusive and mysterious thief who was quickly becoming a legend. The one who's skill with broadswords was unmatched by any, the feared warrior who, rumor had it, had rescued the avatar for unknown reasons...He was the surly young man who worked at the Jasmine Dragon, too self involved to notice the whispering girls who tried to catch his eye. Yes, he knew who he'd been. But who was he now?<p>

She didn't know why she'd done it. It made no logical sense that Katara had just offered to help the one who had caused so much pain, the one who would have taken Aang away in chains in a heartbeat if he could have. Maybe it was they had been briefly united against a common enemy. Maybe it was because of the connection Toph had with the prince's uncle, _what was his name?...Iroh, yes_. It could have been out of pity. Katara was by nature very empathetic. As she lay awake that night, Katara realized something. That sometimes even your enemies deserve the chance to change.

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><p>Everything happened so fast. Zuko could not believe that this morning he'd been serving tea. And now... now he had it all. It seemed so surreal that now, finally, he had what he'd been working, hoping, sweating for three years. Unconsciously, he thought of his uncle. Where was he being kept? Did they remember to give him cloth instead of wool blankets? Maybe he would go and check, Uncle was allergic to wool... <em>No. General Iroh is a traitor. He deserves to be fed hard tack and clasped in irons.<em> It was a triumphant day and Zuko ought to have slept peacefully. Instead of dreaming of his father, he dreamt of blue eyes.

Katara cursed everyone and everything, herself most of all. It was such deja vu. Why was it that every time she trusted someone, it backfired. _Just like Jet, _she thought bitterly. How he must have laughed at her, how pathetic she was! How someone could act so well... He had seemed so confused and hurt... But it had all been a lie, a trick, a manipulation. She couldn't believe she had really been going to use Pakku's gift on him. Her last conscious thought before drifting into an uneasy sleep was _I will never, ever forgive you._


	3. Chapter 3

**Set from the invasion all the way to the Boiling Rock.**_  
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><p><em>I got what I wanted. But I lost what I had. Today, I'm going to set things right.<em>

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><p>At last, Zuko's mind and purpose were clear. He would join the Avatar and bring down the tyranny that was the Fire Nation. Full of confidence, he blasted more fire to keep the balloon heated. As the minutes became hours, he felt his self-assurance weakening. How on earth was he going to be able to convince them of his good intentions? It seemed hopeless... He tried listing off the positives, a trick Uncle had taught him. The avatar had said they could be friends. Yes, that was good start. <em>But that was so long ago, before I captured him at the North Pole, before I joined forces with Azula in Ba Sing Sei...THINK POSITIVE ZUKO. <em>The earth bender was new to their group. Maybe she would have an open-minded perspective. The water tribe boy, Sokka, he couldn't be sure. He would probably go along with whatever the Avatar decided. As for Katara...that was tricky. She had always been so unpredictable to him. Developing into a master bender seemingly overnight. Offering to help him, not once but twice, when he had shown her nothing but aggression. Would she, could she, forgive him?

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><p>Katara had never felt so outraged in her entire life. The nerve of him! Did he think she was so stupid that he could trick her twice? It was an insult to her intelligence that he would even try. Katara focused on shifting her weight through the stances, concentrating until she had mastered the new form from Pakku's scrolls, and tried hard not to let her thoughts go anywhere near Zuko.<p>

Considering that he had just accomplished the impossible, Zuko's spirits were lower than ever. He couldn't erase the picture from his mind: the menace, sharp as hate, in her voice, the hard, piercing look in her sea blue eyes.

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><p>"I will make sure your destiny ends, right then and there, permanently." Zuko sighed. He would earn their respect, one way or another. He would prove himself beyond a shadow of a doubt, so that none of them, not even Katara would be able question his loyalties. Eventually, they would trust him. The only question was when that ever would be.<p>

She couldn't explain it. The way her stomach tingled when he looked at her. The way she couldn't help answering any statement he made. The way her blood burned and her heart raced when his hand accidentally brushed hers. What was wrong with her? All she had to do was remember- the North Pole, Kyoshi Island, Ba Sing Sei, and her anger returned and she regained control.


	4. Chapter 4

**Set during the beginning of the S. Raiders episode.**

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><p>Warmth spread through Zuko's chest as he sat around the campfire with his new friends. As he looked into their faces, a rush of emotion passed through him. It was more than just the goal of restoring balance in the world now. These were his friends, who had accepted him in spite of everything, who he was sure now fully trusted him. He realized how much he cared about each of them. How their companionship filled the void in his chest where his father used to be.<p>

"To Zuko. Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero!" exclaimed Sokka, a note of pride in his voice.

"I'm touched. I don't deserve this." One glare from Katara was enough to squash his euphoria.

"Ya, no kidding."

Zuko didn't hesitate to follow her as she stormed off.

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><p>Katara angrily kicked a rock aside and plopped down by the deserted fire pit. As she sat there, mesmerized by the dying fire's embers, unconsciously, her thoughts turned to Jet. Of how he had come back to her, a genuinely changed person. How she had been unable to let go of her grudges until it was too late. It had taken his death for her to finally forgive him. No matter what she did, she could never repay what she owed him... Would she let it happen again?<p>

His steps carried him to the outside of her tent. He sat down, deciding that if spending the night here would help earn her respect, it would be a small price to pay. It struck him how badly he wanted her forgiveness. It was far more than absolution from his past wrongs. It was her. Whether she realized it or not, he cared deeply for her. She had seen the good in him before even he had known it had been there himself. He knew in that moment that he would not rest until she forgave him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Set during the S. Raiders episode.**

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><p>It wasn't easy to be with her those next few days. There were no words to describe what she was going through, as he well knew. It was stricking to see Katara tranformed from a smiling girl to a raging creature defined only by the pain of her loss. This wound had obviously been buried too deep, for far too long. He wished more than anything to have the power to make her agony vanish.<p>

She sat, gazing at the setting sun, too full of sadness to appreaciate it. The knowledge that their mothers had sacrificed themselves to save them was a pain she and Zuko shared. There was something so inexplicably comforting about him. As if he filled the empty space in her chest where her mother used to be. And finally she realized how blind she'd been. She had been in denial about his goodness for too long. So when he approached her, she didn't hesitate to embrace him. And in Zuko's arms, Katara felt whole.


	6. Chapter 6

**This one is set just before the Ember Island Players episode. So yes, they are in the fire lord's old beach house. I wrote this chapter a little differently. hope you like it (:**

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><p>Katara and Zuko sat together in the courtyard, shelling nuts for dinner. Toph and Aang had left to practice earthbending. Suki and Sokka had gone off looking for greens. As the birds began to roost and the noises of nighttime creatures began to take over, conversation filled the space between them.<p>

"In the Southern Tribe, we don't have music, at least not like the delicate instruments you have," Katara said. "We have stories. Legends, passed from generation to generation for thousands of years. It's what brings us together as a people. A good storyteller makes the day's work lighter."

"What kinds of food do you eat? I've wanted to ask you that question for some time. Your homeland seemed so... barren. I'm curious."

"Stewed sea prunes are my favorite. It's a hard dish to prepare, so it's only eaten on special occasions. I warn you though, I've never met someone who liked them that wasn't Water Tribe. Aang can't stand the sight them."

"I'd like to try them some day." Katara was surprised at the note of sincerity in his voice, and when she looked, she saw that his face was genuine as well.

"Don't be so sure. I'm not so sure your princely stomach could keep them down," Katara replied condescendingly, but her smile gave her away. Zuko blinked, and realized how charming she could be when she wasn't trying to bite his head off.

"Well, Zuko, we've talked everything water tribe from igloos to ice dodging," Katara said, tossing the last of the nuts into a basket. "What kinds of traditions are there in the Fire Nation?"

"The most important thing to people of my nation is honor-"

"-I've noticed-"

"-and thus a person must be able to present themselves with a respectable face in any situation." Katara waited for him to continue, before realizing that he wasn't going to. She huffed.

"Well, that was a very general statement in which you revealed absolutely nothing. Come on, Zuko," said Katara bluntly.

"Well, like I said, we do have music. Before the war, dancing used to be a huge part of everyone's lives. Now only the nobles are taught traditional dancing. And as a prince, I was no exception."

"The war has cost so much," Katara said, hugging her knees to her chest. "More than just people's lives and livelihoods. We missed out the chance to learn about each other. Imagine, Zuko, I could have visited your nation, and you might've seen mine. One day, after all of this is over, I want to see a dance." Struck by sudden inspiration, and trying to lighten the mood, Zuko said,

"Why wait? I can show you right now."

"What?" He had caught her completely off guard. Zuko got to his feet and extended his hand to her.

"Come on. It'll be fun." Katara felt panic rising in her chest. She tugged at her hair and looked down.

"I don't know, Zuko. I'm not much of a dancer."

"Just take my hand," he said, his eyes suggesting a smile. Cautiously, she extended her hand. He pulled her to her feet.

He put one arm on her shoulder, one on her waist. He instructed her to put hers on his shoulders. Katara blushed at their closeness, trying frantically to control her quickening breath and pounding heart. If he noticed, luckily he seemed to attribute it to nerves at dancing, because he said,

"Don't be scared. This one is actually very easy. Besides, I'll be the one leading." She nodded numbly, not meeting his eyes. He laughed aloud.

"Who knew, Katara the great, fearless mater waterbender, afraid of something a small as dancing," he teased. "Now I see that all of those times we fought I should have just asked you for a dance, instead. You'd have passed out cold for sure." Katara's blush deepened, but this time joined in his laughter.

"Now, we take two steps right, then back, and rotate, yes, like that. And then you twirl..." Katara lost herself in the complicated rhythm. Her nerves vanished as her feet flew. _Who knew he could dance like this? _She didn't regret deciding to dance at all. Because, how could something that felt so, so _right _be a mistake? The only real things in her world were the steady hands holding her, belonging to the boy, no, the man, who had come so far, done so much for her.

She had no idea how much time had passed when, finally, his steps slowed to a stop. His golden eyes caught her blue ones, and she thought he looked at her too long, as though he had forgotten that he was looking at all. Their reverie was broken when they heard Sokka shout,

"Sneak attack!" They released each other and quickly busied themselves with the first things their hands could find. Katara turned to see Sokka running into the clearing, boomerang held high. Fortunately, she was sure he hadn't seen them... together. Katara quickly froze him to a pillar, glad for a distraction at the moment. She assumed a comfortable motherly stance as she sighed,

"Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell them out loud..."


End file.
